"Forests: Greens Win Big Battle In 16-Year War Over Roadless Rule"

"Environmentalists won a major battle this week in a long legal war over the Clinton administration rule that limited road construction and logging in national forests.

A U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia judge dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday brought by Alaska over the so-called roadless rule, rejecting the state's claims against the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture under several environmental and procedural laws.

"Upon consideration of the record, the relevant law, and the briefs submitted by parties, I find that plaintiff has not shown that the USDA violated any federal statute in promulgating the Roadless Rule," wrote Senior Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee.

The Forest Service rule, which protected about 50 million acres from timber harvesting and new road development, has been embroiled in litigation since it was issued in 2001."

Amanda Reilly reports for Greenwire September 22, 2017.